Since the Paris Agreement adopted the 1.5° C limit to global warming, policymakers and civil society have worked to identify the most important pathways to keeping this goal alive. The major emissions reductions needed to achieve this heavy lift have been recognized. However, these emissions reductions often target the source of emissions. While this is a reasonable approach, additional mitigation opportunities exist beyond the point where emissions are created.

Transformational ideas add new climate action possibilities to the table and increase the likelihood of staying under 1.5° C. One set of policy options in particular, known as the circular economy, offers promise for cutting the current emissions gap significantly. Circular economy policies go beyond the source of emissions to socioeconomic practices that create the demand for emissions in the first place.

This strategy involves moving beyond the current linear economic models, which extract materials, produce goods, sell them for consumption, and then discard them. Instead, the loop is closed and materials are reused, avoiding the environmentally harmful extraction and disposal of resources. Importantly, undertaking circular economy strategies can be accomplished while improving livelihoods and economies, and are often attractive from a business perspective.

Circular economy models have been embraced by some subnational actors, especially cities; however, they have not been examined in much detail by the international climate community.

This policy analysis brief lays out the global materials flows—including fossil fuels—and describes how a linear process of material extraction, use, and disposal drives GHG emissions. It explores examples of circular economy policies and technologies with high mitigation potential and shows the small extent to which these are considered in climate policy or international cooperation under the Paris Agreement. Tapping into this potential requires that circular economy concepts become an integral part of national policies, international cooperation, and metrics under the Paris Agreement. Finally, this brief makes key recommendations for national policies and action under the architecture of the Paris Agreement.

Atomic Reporters is offering an opportunity for qualified journalists to apply for the “This Is Not a Drill” investigative reporting fellowships. The fellowships are being offered as part of a journalism program organized in partnership with the Stanley Foundation which included the 2019 “This is Not a Drill” journalism workshop held on the one-year anniversary of a false ballistic missile alert that occurred in the U.S. state of Hawaii last January.

CourierThe Winter 2018 issue of Courier focuses on innovators and innovative ideas for global challenges—the role of women and vulnerable countries in mitigating climate change; the potential of blockchain technology in nuclear safeguards; the part the Boy Scouts are playing to keep the peace in the Central African Republic; the possibility that private enterprise could contribute to a more resilient society in Iraq; and an appreciation of the late Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Winter 2018 PDF. Subscribe for Free.

The Stanley Foundation: Part of COP24As a part of our efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C, the foundation put forward policy ideas to achieve a global turning point in emissions by 2020, built upon efforts to catalyze global climate action by countries and sub- and non-state actors, and worked with journalists to strengthen coverage of the UN climate negotiations.

59th Strategy for Peace ConferenceThe Stanley Foundation convenes its Strategy for Peace Conference annually to consider key policy challenges, drawing on the experience and knowledge of invited experts from the public and private sectors.

Concurrent roundtables focused on each of the foundation’s three current areas of programming—climate change, nuclear policy, and mass violence and atrocities, with a fourth roundtable focusing on global governance. These roundtable discussions are intended to generate group consensus recommendations for policy change and multilateral action. More.

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Investigation U. Camper PhotosWe had a great group of campers attend the Investigation U. program this summer. Click here for photos. For participants only, username: IU2018.